The Green Ninja's World
by King of Music 2019
Summary: The Ninja must live in the Realm of Earth until they find all they need to levy war on Rikayla, Queen of Darkness. Little do they know that Rikayla's dark forces are in motion. In it all, love is to be found. The table of love is set; and the War for Creation has begun. Third in series; sequel to Reformation and Revelation.
1. I: A New World

_**Welcome!**_

 _ **This story is the third in my series, first was Reformation and second was Revelation. If you haven't read those, you should do so before reading this as it follows both of those stories.**_

 _ **This is where things start to pick up. It is also where I will need a lot of reviews to know if y'all are enjoying the direction of the story/series. Hint.**_

 _ **Also, Alabama defeated Oklahoma in the College Football Playoff Semifinal yesterday, December 29th, and advances to the National Title Game against the Clemson Tigers. Anyone else tasting that eighteenth National Championship? Roll Tide!**_

 _ **And now, without further ado, I give you the third installment of the series.**_

* * *

 **The Green Ninja's World**

 _Chapter I. A New World._

* * *

 _The Realm of Madness was a place from which very little information came. It was a place with which the other Realms had little interaction. However, to one person, it was home. Born from a human but conceived by a djinn, a woman made the Realm her home after her dreams of power and glory were denied her. In her rage and despair, she created a force that would one day give all of Creation to her rule. Her name was Rikayla Auxil._

* * *

A figure stood before her Army of Eternal Darkness and addressed them in response to her vision.

"He has surfaced, he has found three of the Guardians, and he leaves for Earth when the sun rises. When he has amassed a great power, he will bring his family and fight us, and he will win. So we will take one of his family and keep them here, so that he cannot bring all of them. Without his family, the Green Ninja falls. When the Green Ninja falls, then fall Ninjago to our order. All creation will fall to the Order of Rikayla, and all the Realms will be one Realm under one rule. The Green Ninja threatens my vision of a glorious future, and must be thwarted in his attempts to squander my gift of unity to the Realms. We must not allow this, my sons and daughters of Darkness. As from this moment, we are at war."

* * *

It was time.

The sun was rising on June first, and the family were preparing to depart Ninjago and go to Earth, where the Golden Weapons were waiting for them.

James, the Green Ninja, advised the ninja not to think about the war that he told them was coming, and to focus on finding the Weapons. He explained that they would have to blend in and live with the community from which he came until October 29th. In that time, the Weapons would be revealed to them. On November 15th, the ninja would return to Ninjago to begin fight for the fate of all the Realms.

When the whole of the sun could be seen above the horizon, all waiting was over. The Green Ninja closed his eyes in concentration and stretched out his arms. Moments later, a portal opened in front of him.

"I can only do that one time," said James. "Until we find all the Weapons."

Sensei Wu had decided to stay behind and take care of the house, so everyone said their goodbyes to him. He wished them his best, and the ninja all went through the portal without hesitation, but not without fear, for on the other side of the portal waited a Realm unknown to all but two of them.

Only Garmadon and James knew anything of Earth. To the rest, the Realm was a new and strange land that offered unknown dangers.

When the ninja exited the portal, it was dark. The ninja realized they were in a cave and walked out. When they did, it was no longer dark; the sunlight bathed the ninja and each of them knew they were no longer in Ninjago.

"So..." remarked Jay.

"This is Earth?" asked Cole.

"More specifically, Billingsley Community Park," answered the Green Ninja.

A quick look around proved that they were, indeed in a park. There were swings, little-league baseball fields, and a basketball court. There was also a concession stand in the park. None of these things were being used, however, as the park was closed that day.

"Gosh," exclaimed Nya. "It's so bright!"

"That's the good ol' Southern summer sun," said James, cheerfully.

"Do you mean to say this is a binary star system?" asked Zane, intrigued.

"What? No. We only have one sun, it just happens to be really hot and bright here in the South in summer time," James explained.

"So, this is the southern part of the Realm?" asked Lloyd.

"Well, no." said James. "It's the Southern United States."

"United States?" asked Kai.

"Oh boy... we're in Alabama. That's a State. The country we're in right now is formed by fifty States that are united. And they're on the American continent-a continent is a large part of the world. So this country is called United States of America. And Alabama is a State in the Southeast of the country."

"Ohhh..." replied the group, except for Garmadon, who chucked quietly to himself.

"Now that we know where we are," said Garmadon. "Why don't we see where we are supposed to go?"

"Well," said James. "We're supposed to go to my house; I was hoping the portal would open a little closer to there. But it's okay. I'll call my dad, he's got a truck. We can all fit in the back."

A brief phone call and a short wait later, a black 2018 Tacoma pulled up at the park's gate.

"Everyone," said James, addressing the group. "This is my dad."

"Call me Ryan," the man in the truck insisted. "I remember Montgomery there, how's it going?"

"Well, thank you. Yourself?"

"I'm good. Who are the rest? And are those two ghosts?"

"I'll explain the ghost part later," answered James. "We have a lot to catch you up on when we get home. But as for their names, these are my brothers-and sister. This is Morro, Master of Wind. This is Lloyd, Sensei Garmadon's son and the Golden Ninja, master of the Energy of Creation. Cole, master of Earth. Jay, master of Lightning. Nya, master of Water. Kai, master of Fire. Nya is Kai's sister and Jay's girlfriend. Zane, master of Ice-and yes, he is a robot."

"Nindroid!" shouted Jay.

"Whatever, and this is Misako, Sensei Garmadon's wife and Lloyd's mother. Wu, Garmadon's brother, stayed in Ninjago to look after our place."

"Ninjago, that's the other world, right?" asked Ryan.

"Right."

"Well," said Ryan with enthusiasm. "Welcome to the South, y'all!"

"Our home is your home!' said James.

After a 5-minute drive through the rural community, the truck reached a one-story house.

"Are we all gonna fit in there?" asked Kai.

"Oh, don't you worry about that." replied the Green Ninja. "Now, look over here."

James showed the group a white 2007 Chevrolet Silverado, complete with bulleted rims and a factory-installed bed cover.

"Wow," said Jay. "She's a pretty one."

"Ain't she? This pretty thing and I have been all around Autauga and Chilton County together."

"Autauga and Chilton County?" asked Lloyd.

"Don't worry," said Ryan. "Y'all will get to learn the area as time goes on."

"James, forgive me." said Morro. "I've been trying since we met to figure out what that accent of yours is, and just when I had decided it was unique to just you, we meet your father and he talks the same way. Help?"

After laughing, James responded, "It's the talk of the South, brother."

"Get used to it," added Ryan, also laughing.

"Let's go in," said James. "So we can show our guests where they'll be staying."

The house only had three bedrooms and one bathroom. The three bedrooms were already occupied by James, his parents, and his younger brother. The ninja wondered if they would all have to share a couch.

"I know, I know. There's not any rooms open. But watch this."

The Green Ninja walked down the hallway, touching the walls at close intervals as he walked. When he had turned around and came back to where the ninja were waiting and watching with confusion, he looked at them with a satisfied smile on his face. Eventually, Jay spoke up.

"Watch what?"

"What **is** all that noise?" called a female voice from the living room.

A woman came around a doorway at the end of the hall and nearly jumped out of her skin when she touched the wall. As she touched the wall, several more doors appeared in the hallway, so many that the doors touched side by side.

"What was that?!" asked Jay.

"Now you've got rooms! Hey Mama!"

"Uh... hey James... and your friends," she responded, still shaking.

"Everyone, this is my mother, Shannon. Mama, meet... everyone."

"Hey..."

"She never got used to me having powers and stuff... so anyway, now you've got rooms."

"James," said Kai. "Those doors are touching; there's no way those rooms have enough room for us."

"Did anyone else stop to think about the fact that we didn't bring any stuff with us except for the clothes on our backs and some weapons?" asked Cole.

"Kai and Cole, just check out your rooms. I think you'll find that there is plenty of space and that you have all you need."

Kai and Cole, apprehensively, picked the two doors closest to them and went through them. What they beheld shocked them. There was, indeed, plenty of space; and they, indeed, had all they needed. The closets were full-of their own clothes!- and there were even snacks for them stocked in the rooms. Additionally, when the rest of the ninja had looked at their rooms, it was discovered that there were decorative carpets laid out in each room that corresponded to that person's color.

"Nice, right?"

"James," said Cole. "I'm sorry I doubted you."

"Me too," said Kai.

"It's alright; I've got something very important to show y'all."

The Green Ninja led the group into his room, which was actually built into the house and was much simpler than the others' rooms, and went to the north wall.

"Morro, Nya, Cole, Kai, Zane, Jay, and Lloyd. Touch this wall, in that order, anywhere you want. Just touch the wall."

As Morro touched the wall, the symbol for Wind appeared where he had touched and moved to the top of the wall. The pattern continued as each Master touched the wall. When Lloyd touched it, the other symbols formed a circle, with Lloyd's to the left of the circle. Then, James touched the middle of the circle and his symbol moved to the right.

Immediately after that, the symbols vanished and the wall faded away; but instead of the adjacent room, a long hallway was revealed-much longer than the length of the house.

"This is the Elemental Temple, a place for us to find knowledge and peace. It is where we will train, and it is where we will discover the locations of the Golden Weapons. We are to leave this temple alone for today, and begin our searchings in the morning. When nature begins to act up, we will come here and interpret the meanings of any unusual events."

The wall reformed and was back to normal.

"Any Elemental Master can enter the temple simply by pressing a hand to this wall and focusing on his or her element. Now, let's get some rest and prepare."

* * *

For all of June, there were no events that pointed to a time of disclosure of an Elemental Entity, as James sometimes called the Weapons.

The ninja became closer to James's family and friends, met his girlfriend Diana, and blended in with Billingsley, just as they were supposed to do. The ghosts learned from the Elemental Temple how to make themselves look human. The ninja enjoyed the community and became a part of it. They fell in love with Southern cooking (of course) and made new close friends. One day, in mid-July, Morro even surprised himself.

James and Morro were in Walmart, picking up a few things for James's mother, when James lightly elbowed Morro to get his attention.

"Look, over there!" he exclaimed.

"What?"

"Oh, you gotta meet her. One of my best friends. Hey, Zee!"

"James!" the girl replied excitedly.

The two ran over to each other and began to chat excitedly.

"I just cannot go anywhere in Clanton without running into someone I know," said James.

"Who's this?" asked Zee.

"Oh, this is my all-but-blood brother, Morro. He's not from around here."

"Ooh, well it's good to meet you Morro!"

"Nice to meet you too, Zee is it?"

"That's right."

"Well," said James. "I've got to get to the Garden Center for some lighter fluid. Let's all hang out soon?"

"Sounds great! Bye y'all, great to meet you, Morro!" said Zee.

When James and Morro had reached the Garden Center, Morro voiced his thoughts.

"I think it might be time to try and find a Weapon."

"Why is that, Morro?"

"I think I sensed an elemental disturbance, a strong one. But it didn't last long. I just know I really felt it."

"When did you notice it?"

"About when you started shouting at Zee. I stopped noticing it just now."

"Hmm... Morro, have you ever felt an elemental disturbance before?"

"Well, no..."

"Then how do you know that's what it was?"

"Because it's not like anything else I've ever felt."

"I see... well, we'll definitely keep our eyes open. I felt a little something too, but not much."

"I felt it pretty strong... you believe me, don't you?"

"Morro, of course I believe you. I know you would only say that if you meant it. Look, this is something we have to be very careful about. Everything hangs in the balance; and the balance is atop our heads. We'll meditate on this tonight."

"Okay; now, let's get that lighter fluid for the wings tomorrow. Who knows, maybe it wasn't a disturbance after all. Maybe I just had a chill or something."

After laughing, James teased Morro with, "Yeah, or maybe you just fell in love."

"Oh come on-have we even met?" asked Morro, both laughing. "Fell in love, right here in Walmart-that's funny. And I don't even know her!"

The two found the lighter fluid for the grill and made their way to the checkout. As chance would have it, they met Zee again. Morro felt the "disturbance" again, but it was different-he paid attention to it this time. The feeling was unlike anything he had felt before today. The sensation made him feel good inside, but also very afraid.

 _Do I... like that girl? Is that what having so-called "warm and fuzzies" feels like? No... that's impossible..._

Morro was too lost in his thoughts and James was too busy talking with his old friend to notice a policeman, looking quite terrified, watching them from the door of the supermarket. He suddenly ran out of the store.

* * *

In a place of darkness, all was quiet until a voice broke the silence.

"Master," addressed a dark figure. "The human is back. He says he brings news."

"I know what news he brings," sighed the woman of shadow whom the figure addressed. "Bring him before me."

Two dark soldiers brought a human police officer before Rikayla, the fallen Elemental Master and self-proclaimed but all-adored Queen of Darkness and Madness.

"My queen..." quaked the human.

"None of that-on his knees, now," Rikayla calmly ordered. Her soldiers responded by forcing the human down on his knees in a beggar-like position.

"I did as you told me, my queen!"

Rikayla lost the last of her patience and yelled at the human.

"I told you to get there BEFORE they reached the town! Because of your failure, now they have found one!"

"Mistress Rikayla, your portal did not transport me there until they were already on their way to Clanton."

"YOU CROSS ME?!"

"No! I only meant to beg your mercy!"

"Commander Tenebris, get this human swine out of my sight. Fetch my hammer, and ready the Imperia. We'll need them. We're taking a trip."

"The time approaches?" inquired the creature of pure darkness. He was tall and looked deadly; he wore impossibly black robes and carried two black swords on his back. His face was covered with a black garment and none of his features were visible.

"Faster than you know, my dear Tenebris. Quickly, send this human back from whence he came and prepare the Imperia for close contact."

* * *

 _ **Reference for some of the terms in the story that may be unfamiliar:**_

 _ **Rikayla Auxil: auxilium is Latin for "help" (will be explained later in the story or a later story in the series).**_

 _ **Autauga and Chilton Counties: Counties in Alabama.**_

 _ **Billingsley: rural community on the border of Autauga and Chilton Counties.**_

 _ **Clanton: small town 12 minutes away from Billingsley; in Chilton County.**_

 _ **Commander Tenebris: tenebris is Latin for "darkness."**_

 _ **Imperia: Latin. plural of imperium, which means "strength."**_

 _ **Leave me a review! Please?**_

 _ **Love y'all!**_

 _ **Roll Tide! #RoadTo18**_


	2. II: Secrets in Plain Sight

**_Well, guys... school has started back. I will update these as much as my busy schedule will allow, but we need to talk about something... I really need y'all to leave a review when you read. I most certainly appreciate favorites and follows, that helps as well. But the reviews are like finding gold in the river. As of right now, I don't know if y'all are generally enjoying this story or the romantic Jay and Nya story I posted. I don't know if I am doing right and it makes it more difficult to be motivated to write more. So, y'all would be doing me a HUGE favor by reviewing my stories when you read them!_ _I value your opinion!_**

 ** _Anyway, ON WITH IT!_**

* * *

 **The Green Ninja's World.**

 _Chapter II._ _Secrets in Plain Sight_

* * *

"This chicken is the best!"

Cole expressed his approval of the buffalo wings that James's mother had grilled. The others voiced their enjoyment as well.

"Thank you for preparing this for us," said Zane, polite as ever.

"You're welcome, just be glad Morro and James got that lighter fluid or we wouldn't be having them."

"That reminds me," said Misako. "Morro, you've been acting a little strange ever since you got back from the store yesterday. Is everything alright?"

Morro snapped out of what seemed to be some sort of trance.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?"

The group laughed as Misako repeated herself.

"I said you've been acting off since you got back from the store yesterday. Are you okay, Morro?"

"Oh, yes. I'm fine. I've just been thinking about being here and getting ready for... you know..."

"I see... well, as long as you're alright, dear."

"I'm fine, thank you."

No more was said regarding Morro's apparently unusual behavior.

After the heavenly dinner, the table was quickly devoid of life and the house was quiet. The ninja had dispersed to their rooms or outside. But one remained seated at the table, believing he was alone.

Morro. He was lost in his thoughts. Morro was confused by himself. Whenever he thought of the events of the previous day, when he met Zee and felt that disturbance, he felt it all over again. Morro had since been trying to decide whether the disturbance was from the Elements, or within himself. He let out a heavy sigh and stood up.

"Thinking too hard?"

Morro whirled around to see James in the dining room doorway. He wondered if he should come clean and possibly get help with this predicament or keep it shut up inside and continue to deal with it alone.

"Everyone else is outside. Come on, let's talk in the living room," said James, beckoning Morro to the couch.

They sat down and the Green Ninja addressed his brother.

"Morro, I know you're not the most open person, but you've been a bit distant today."

"Oh, I don't mean to be like that... I'm sorry."

"No, it's okay. I'm worried about you because you're usually very open and relaxed with me and you've been really shut off since yesterday afternoon."

Morro could now see that he was worrying his family by keeping his feelings inside, so he decided to come clean.

"Okay... there is something that's been on my mind."

"Maybe you want to talk about it?"

Morro closed his eyes and said, "That's the problem... I don't know what I'm even supposed to say."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know how to describe what's bothering me."

"Hmm... is it that disturbance you felt in Walmart?"

"How did you know?"

"Morro, I wanted to let you figure this out yourself, but it's really bothering you so... do you want to know what's going on?"

"Please."

"Morro, when Elemental Masters sense a disturbance in nature, the reason for it is revealed in their mind and they don't worry like this about it."

"But you said you felt something too."

"I think the feeling you were experiencing was so strong I sensed it from where I was standing," replied James after a short laugh.

"So, you're saying... that feeling wasn't from something to do with the elements?"

"No, it came from here, Morro."

James pointed to Morro's chest.

"My heart?"

"You said the feeling hit me after meeting Zee, and it went away when we were gone from her."

"Right..." Morro knew where this was going, and he couldn't believe it. He couldn't believe he was capable of feeling this feeling.

"Did you feel it again? A little later? Maybe when we were checking out?"

"James... I know now... I have... romantic feelings for her."

Morro looked at James in disbelief, and James looked at Morro in encouragement.

"The others will laugh at me."

"No, Morro-"

"James. Come on, they all know I don't 'feel' like they do. This is the first time I've felt anything this strong... I can't deny that I have feelings for her, but... I've only met her once."

"Sometimes, people just click. Sometimes, you have to believe in love at first sight."

"Love... but how?"

"How what?"

"How can I get her to like me? I'm a 'ghost.' Your disguise can't fool her forever, that's if she gets to know me and actually likes me. And besides that, I've done such terrible things and so many of those terrible things and eventually I would have to tell her and-"

"Whoa, Morro, calm down. Just calm down, okay?"

"Okay, sorry. Now... what do I do?"

"Well, in the 'here and now,' most couples and couple-hopefuls do a lot of texting."

"But I don't have a phone."

"I know. I'd buy you one but my last name ain't Rockefeller."

"Uh, what?"

"Never mind. But, I can relay messages from you to her on my phone. I have her number."

"I would appreciate that."

"And Morro, you can't tell her I told you this. I kind of suspected you liked her so I texted her and asked her what she thought of you."

"Really?" Now Morro was nervous. "What did she say?"

"Well, she said and I quote, 'he seems like a really nice guy and honestly I think he's really cute.' So you've got that on your side!"

"She thinks I'm cute?!" Morro smiled wider a smile than he had smiled for many years. "Well I think she's cute... don't tell her I said that."

Morro's face turned bright red as he said it. It took a lot for a ghost to blush.

"Um... am I... blushing?"

"You really got it bad, buddy..."

"Yeah... What do I do? What did you do to get Diana to like you?"

"Actually when I started having strong feelings for her I found out she'd had a crush on me for a while... but look, you need to get to know her. And you have to let her get to know you."

"So, do you think it's too soon to ask her to go on a date with me?"

"No! I think that would be a great way to break the ice."

 ** _(A/N: A fun fact, Shakespeare coined the phrase, "break the ice.")_**

"Okay," replied Morro, still smiling.

"You seem happy."

"She called me cute."

James laughed and put a hand on Morro's shoulder.

"Morro, brother. I hope you two will make each other very happy."

"Is this why you 'had a feeling' I would particularly enjoy this Realm? Did you know I would, dare I say it... fall in love here?"

"I knew you would surprise yourself and the others, but not me. I know you have a great heart and I know that great love comes from it. I know that you are led by your heart. And I know that your heart will lead you to places of unimaginable happiness if you will trust it. And Morro, you picked a great girl to fall for. She is a very good and loyal person. She has been my friend for many years and I know she will treat you right."

"Thanks... I just hope I can do the same."

"You can. And you will. I have faith in you."

The two stood up from the couch and James continued.

"Now, would you like me to ask Zee if she would like to go on a date with you this weekend? You can take her to dinner, at Peach Park in Clanton. It's quite beautiful this time of year."

"I would greatly appreciate that, thank you James."

"No problem."

Back in his room, the Green Ninja sent a message to Zee. The message read:

 _Hey, Morro would like to take you out to eat at Peach Park this weekend. He doesn't have a phone so I'm relaying the message, lol. I think he really likes you. And I know you got a little crush on him._ ;).

A reply came a few minutes later. Zee replied:

 _Tell him I would absolutely love to! It's a date! And yeahhh, he is reeeeeeaally cute..._ _and he seems so sweet... and his voice is really nice... and I'm gonna stop talking now lol._

 _Morro's a great guy, Zee. I'm glad you like him._

 _Yeah, I'm glad we just happened to meet yesterday... funny how you can have a crush on someone from barely meeting them lol_.

 _Lol. Well, I'll let Morro know! He'll be so excited._

 _Thanks bud I can't wait, I got work_ ttyl.

 _Alright Z, be careful_.

The text conversation ended and James set off to find Morro, excited to give the news. He found Morro in the kitchen, looking for a snack in the pantry.

"Morro!"

"Hey, did you ask her?"

"Yep."

"Aaannd?"

"My brother," James said with sincerity, placing a hand on Morro's shoulder. "It's a date."

Morro was filled with so much joy that he could have done a quadruple back flip.

"A- a date?!"

"Yes, a date!"

"Oh my goodness, I'm so happy! I could just- just- I... wait. What do people do on dates?"

"Not to worry, Morro. I got you."

* * *

 ** _Yes, this installment in the series is a love story. There is a reason for that. At the end, you will see why "The Green Ninja's World" has to be a love story, and specifically between [not spoiling it but I think you could guess who is falling in love here. XD]._** **_So sit back and bask in the love. And uh... let me know if I'm doing a good job with these stories. No reviews makes me stress._**

 ** _Let me know how you're enjoying this. This is another example of me typing on my phone late at night. It will probably be more neatly formatted tomorrow._**

 _ **I hope y'all are enjoying! Please, leave me reviews! I want to know what people think!**_ ** _Tell me one thing you particularly like about this story or the series. What's your favorite moment/line in the three stories in the series so far? Is Rikayla a good villain/credible threat? Will Cole eat all the leftover wings when no one is watching?_**

 ** _Okay I'm done rambling. Hope y'all enjoyed._**

 ** _Love y'all, God bless y'all._** ** _Good night!_**


	3. III: The Connection

**_The original four ninja, James, and Zee (Morro's love interest) are all eighteen. And so is Morro, physically. Nya is seventeen, Lloyd is sixteen. The senseis and Misako are... well, they're old. Now that we have established that, on with the story!_**

 ** _Typed on my phone._**

* * *

 **The Green Ninja's World.**

 _Chapter III. The Connection._

* * *

It was not easy, not even a little, but James got Morro completely prepared for his date in only three days. It was the night before Morro's big day, and he was beyond excited. Of course, he was also extraordinarily nervous.

"What if I just randomly forget everything you've taught me?"

"Dude," said Cole. "Sensei Wu says you never forgot one thing he taught you."

It was very difficult to keep secrets from a family of ninja The family quickly discovered that Morro "likes a real live girl!" in Jay's words. The ninja then decided to help Morro woo the girl who had captured his affections.

"Okay, but what if I get nervous and trip or something?"

"Morro, you are worrying yourself for nothing," James replied. "Calm down; you're going to be great."

"Just relax, man," said Lloyd.

"Before you know it," added Kai. "You'll have that girl's arms around you and you'll feel like the luckiest guy ever."

"I already feel like that," sighed Morro. "Just getting to spend time with her makes me feel lucky."

"Awww," gushed Nya. "If she sees how sweet you are, you definitely have nothing to worry about."

"You already have nothing to worry about, based on my diagnosis," commented Zane.

"We believe in you, Morro," said James. "Now, you get a good night's sleep and tomorrow morning, you go get your girl."

"Thanks guys, all of you. I owe you," thanked Morro, blushing at the idea that, soon, he of all people might actually have a girlfriend.

The family slept, and morning came soon after. When sunrise exercises had concluded, James took Morro to Peach Park, where Zee was to meet him. James said that he would be back when the date was over and, with no explanation of how he would know, drove back to humble Billingsley.

Morro waited in the cafe at the park and examined the scenery. The trees were green and water in the stream was clear as crystal. The sky was blue with puffs of white scattered across its face. The wind blew gently, keeping the Alabama July heat at bay, and the birds voiced their wishes of good luck to Morro.

After only a few minutes of waiting, a white car pulled into Peach Park's parking lot. Out of the car stepped a girl whose black hair shone in the brilliant Southern sun, and whose brown eyes pierced Morro's heart when she looked in his direction, even though she had not seen him. It was Zee; she walked toward the cafe. Morro got that feeling again; the feeling that something was not quite right, but that, at the same time, everything around him was perfect.

As Zee walked through the doors of the cafe, Morro remembered that he would have to stay focused on remaining solid. He did not want his date to end in his hopefully girlfriend-to-be fainting because she tried to touch him and went right through him. His disguise fooled the eyes, but not the other senses.

Morro waved so Zee would see him. She did, and she walked over to the table at which he was seated.

"Good morning," said Morro, revealing the bouquet of wild yellow flowers he had been hiding. These particular flowers only grew in Autauga County and were considered to be a deeply meaningful gift when given to a girl by a suitor.

"Oh, Morro," said Zee, impressed by Morro's gift. "They're beautiful."

"That's why I wanted you to have them," Morro responded, remembering Nya's comment about Zee seeing his sweet side.

"Aww, that's sweet."

Morro felt immensely less nervous, now that it seemed that he had effectively charmed Zee. They ordered breakfast and sat there together long after they had both finished their food. They got to know each other and that only served to make them like each other even more.

By the time they had grown tired of sitting and talking, it was noon. Their breakfast was a late one, about ten o'clock, so they were not yet hungry for lunch. Morro, instead, bought Zee a strawberry ice cream and they exited the cafe.

 ** _A/N: Peach Park in Clanton is a real place, and it is famous for having the best dern ice cream in all of Alabama._**

As they strolled through the park, Zee finished her ice cream and discarded the napkins she had been using to prevent a mess in a nearby trash can. She slipped the fingers of her now free hand in between Morro's own fingers. Though she missed at first, both Morro and Zee's hearts soared at holding hands with someone as wonderful as the two regarded each other to be. Both felt as though they were strolling through Heaven, holding hands with an angel.

Morro berated himself for losing focus for a moment. He thanked God that Zee was not watching when she reached for Morro's hand and Morro felt her hand go through him. He stopped being angry with himself when he regained his focus and found himself holding hands with a girl for whom he cared deeply and to whom he was quickly losing his heart. Morro did not, however, count his heart being won over to Zee as a loss. He considered it an honor to give his heart to this girl, if she would take it. He hoped that she would respond by trusting him with her own heart.

As the sun set, Morro and Zee realized they had spent the whole day together. Neither would have had it any other way. The two sat alone atop a hill overlooking the sunset, holding hands and sitting very close to each other.

"Zee?"

"Yes, Morro?"

"This simply has been the best day."

"Yes, it has been."

"It's because I spent it with you."

"Aww, Morro. You are so sweet."

"No, you're just so amazing. I am so blessed to have spent this day with someone as wonderful as you. Someone who is so kind, witty... and beautiful."

"Oh Morro..." blushed Zee. "Stop.."

"Someone who is stealing my heart."

Morro's heart threatened to burst forth from his chest. Despite being ghostly in form, cursed humans still performed the functions of life. But even for a normal person, this pounding of the heart was of great intensity.

"Morro... do you really feel that way?"

"Yes... and I know it's a little soon, but... that's just how I feel."

"It doesn't feel soon... I feel like I've known you my whole life. You're easy to trust, you're thoughtful, you always know what to say to make me happy... and you're very handsome, Morro."

"Zee, thank you. It means a lot that you think that of me."

"Morro, you said I'm stealing your heart. Well, I have a confession..."

"Yes?" Morro asked, beginning to become excited.

"You're not stealing mine..."

Morro's excitement faded and he dismally replied, "Oh..."

"My heart belongs to you already."

Morro was relieved, and he became full of joy at her statement.

"Really?" was all he could find to say.

"Yes, Morro. Today you treated me so well and showed me how much you care for me. And I want you to know that I care that much about you."

Morro could not believe what he was hearing. Zee's words made him so happy that he could have heard them a thousand times over and not be tired of hearing them.

Morro could contain his heart no longer. He let go of Zee's hand, putting his arm around her. Morro looked deeply into her eyes, and he kissed her. Before Zee could return the kiss, however, Morro pulled away.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have... without asking... I just -"

"Shut up, Morro. Just do it again."

Zee pulled Morro into a deep and affectionate kiss, melting both hearts together. They kissed until they were out of breath, and then held each other as close as possible.

Morro then realized he was not focusing on remaining solid; he remembered that he had cried and not been hurt by the tears. He wondered if another extreme emotion, such as the indescribable joy he was currently experiencing, can make banished beings solid for as long as the feeling would last.

The sun had set by the time the two had let go of each other. The park would be closing soon, so they headed to the parking lot. They said their goodbyes by Zee's car.

"Zee, I am going to make a confession..."

"Okay..."

"You are the first girl I have ever dated, kissed... and the first girl I have ever loved..."

Zee's heart fluttered at Morro's words.

"You... you love me?"

"Yes... I love you, Zee."

"I love you too... Morro. Even though we've only known each other really for a day... I just... I love you..."

The now-couple shared another loving kiss.

"To have never kissed a girl before," said Zee, her face still very close to Morro's. "You're a really good kisser."

Morro laughed a small laugh. "Thanks."

"That was my first kiss too, Morro."

"Well, you did a really good job."

He kissed her again.

"I have to be going, Morro. I hope we see each other again really soon."

"Me too, my love."

"Aww, you're so sweet."

"Can I have one more?"

Zee gladly obliged and kissed his lips one more time, then she gave him a kiss on the cheek. She then got into her car.

"Good night, Morro."

"Good night. I love you."

"I love you too, handsome."

Morro smiled and closed the door for her. She drove out of the parking lot and James's truck appeared a second later. Morro, used to the Green Ninja's strange antics by now, got into the truck without asking any questions.

"So, how'd it go?"

"It was perfect... just perfect."

"I'm glad to hear that, bud."

"James... I don't know if I should say this but I don't think I can keep it in."

"What is it?"

"I kissed her..."

James gasped and smiled, "Wow, I'm so happy for you!"

"And I told her I loved her, and she returned it!"

"Oh Morro that's great. So are y'all like a couple now?"

"Um... I think so... I mean, we watched the sunset and kissed for... several minutes... so maybe?"

James laughed at that and said, "Well, sounds like y'all are a couple to me. I'm so happy for y'all."

"Thanks, me too..."

On the way home, all Morro could think about was Zee and the wonderful time he had with her that day. He hoped he could make her as happy as he was at that moment. That thought reminded him of something.

"Hey, James?"

"Yep?"

"When I was with Zee, there was a while that I was so happy that I wasn't focused on staying solid... but Zee and I were touching each other. How did that happen?"

"I would assume that being so happy had overridden the curse you're under. But you would have to be extremely happy for that to happen."

"Well, I was... and I've decided you were right."

"About what?"

"I really do love this Realm."

James laughed and said, "I'm glad you found someone special to make you happy, Morro."

They reached the house and went inside. Morro donned his pajamas and went to bed (after prancing to his room in his joy), where he had sweet dreams filled with memories of the day behind him.

James walked into his room and looked at his phone, surprised to see that he had several messages. They were from Zee. The messages were mostly composed of exclamation marks and read:

 _We had a great time!_

 _HE KISSED ME!_

 _AND TOLD ME HE LOVES ME!_

 _AND I TOLD HIM I LOVE HIM!_

 _AND I MEANT IT WITH ALL MY HEART!_

 _CAUSE HE'S SO AMAZING!_

 _AND SUCH A GOOD KISSER!_

 _SO HANDSOME!_

 _GREAT HAIR, LOVE RUNNING MY HANDS THROUGH IT!_

 _I LOVE HIM!_

 _SO MUCH!_

 _GAAAHHHHHHH!_

 _Okay, going to bed now. See ya, good night. Tell Morro good night and I love him!_

James shook his head, laughing, and replied:

 _Alright Z, glad y'all had a good time. Have a good night._ _And no worries, I'll tell him for you._

* * *

"AAAGGHHHH!"

Rikayla screamed and roared in her rage and threw a black mirror, through which information on the ninja came, down to the ground, smashing it.

"TENEBRIS!"

"Yes, Master?"

"Are the Imperia ready yet?"

"They are nearly ready, my queen."

The Queen of Darkness calmed and explained the situation.

"Dear Commander, they are close to a revelation. If they learn to discover exactly with whom they are socializing, they will begin to threaten everything we have planned. If they begin to discover the truth about why they are on Earth, it will be that much more difficult to stop them."

"I see, my queen."

"You say the Imperia are nearly ready?"

Tenebris nodded.

"Right... We must move quickly. One of them has fallen in love with a girl, and that girl must not be in the presence of both the Green Ninja and Morro at the same time."

"Why, master?"

"For on that very night, the Green Ninja will receive his next instructions for fighting us. For in that revelation lies the key to infinite power, shared and guarded by the Eight. The key to the universe. The Guardians."

* * *

 ** _Ooh suspense, and dear goodness that romance scene was hard to write. It was fun though. I hope y'all are enjoying this, and don't worry! More surprises and drama come with each chapter._**

 ** _By the way, y'all now know more than the ninja, even if you don't yet know exactly what that information means..._**

 ** _I'm trying to use the little scenes with Rikayla to build suspense, because she actually knows things the ninja currently_** ** _have no idea about. So, let me know what y'all think about this story's suspense factor._**

 ** _Please review!_**

 ** _Love y'all, God bless._**


	4. IV: Confession

**_I may have made a minor error... if at some point in this story I mentioned "the senseis," that is not correct. Remember that Wu stayed in Ninjago. I'm not sure if I did that or not. The reason I mentioned it is because I caught myself almost doing it while writing this chapter. So if I made such an error, I apologize!_**

 ** _This chapter was pretty hard to nail down so I really hope y'all enjoy it._**

 ** _Replies to Reviews:_**

 ** _ServusChristiSum: AMEN! Where I'm from, we say "y'all" more often than "you!" You see how much I use it. XD_**

* * *

 **The Green Ninja's World.**

 _Chapter IV. Confession._

* * *

"Now, I'm gonna be out with Diana until kind of late; will y'all be alright here without me?"

James was making sure everything was in order at the house before he left for his date with his girlfriend.

"Relax, man," said Kai. "I think we can handle ourselves."

"Okay, just make sure you feed the dogs around 5 o'clock. That's an hour and a half from now. And don't let Ruby eat from Cheyenne's bowl, you have to watch her. Alex's food is in the laundry room and -"

"Dude, chill," said Cole. "We know the drill. Chihuahua in the laundry room, other two in the kitchen, don't let the brown bulldog mix eat the white and black pit mix's food."

"Now get out of here and have a good time!" said Lloyd.

"Alright, I'll see y'all later. Oh! Tell my mother I got her sweet tea ready earlier and it should be cold by now."

"Bye James," the group, including Misako and Garmadon, said simultaneously.

When the Green Ninja had finally left, the other ninja agreed that he simply must relax and get out more.

After walking out the door, James met Zee on the porch. The couple had been together for exactly two weeks that day and everyone except for Morro knew that Zee was coming. The ninja all made other plans and came up with other things to do so that the couple could spend time together. Morro thought Zee was at work, so he made no plans, as he had no one else to make plans with because the rest of his family had their own engagements that evening.

"He's all yours," laughed James.

"Thanks; you and Diana enjoy your night out."

"We will; I wish I could see Morro's face when you surprise him, but I've really got to be going."

"Alright James, have a good night."

"You too."

James left and Zee went in, quietly. Zee did not know about the other ninja yet, so they were sure to stay out of sight.

Zee found Morro in the living room, standing and facing the north window. His back was turned to the dining room and kitchen doorway, from which she entered the living room. She snuck up behind him, so quietly that it would have impressed Sensei Wu.

She snuck up and tried to hug him from behind, but she almost lost her balance and fell to the floor when she phased right through him. She was now in front of him, facing away from him. She turned around and faced him. His face was pale; he was terrified.

"Um... Morro?"

He said nothing in response. He only shook in his place.

"What was that?"

No response.

"Morro, what's going on? Please, answer me."

Morro closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He opened his eyes, but was afraid to meet the eyes of his girlfriend, who was surely about to reject him.

"Zee... I will tell you... everything - what I am, who **we** are... and everything I've done... if you promise to try not to think any less of me when I do..."

"I promise."

Morro closed his eyes again and put his head down. He knew that his disguise fooled the sight of humans as long as he wanted it to. But he knew he could not hide his true self from Zee any longer. Morro prepared himself to confess to Zee everything he had done in the years since his banishment, and even before that.

The disguise dissipated into the air and Zee saw Morro's true form. His skin was of a green hue and she could see the couch and dining room chandelier behind him. His clothes, the clothes for which the ninja had taken him shopping shortly after his reformation, stayed the same. Only they, like him, turned a ghastly green and were transparent with him.

"Are you- Morro, are you a ghost?"

Morro hung his head in shame. He knew he had to come clean. About everything.

"Not exactly..."

"Okay, Morro. Let's just sit down on the couch. If you will just tell me what's going on, I promise I will do my best to understand. And I will not think less of you, whatever that meant."

"You'll see what that meant..."

They sat down on the couch together. Morro took Zee's hands in his own and told her everything. His time on the streets, Wu taking him in, learning about the Green Ninja prophecy. He told her about the ninja and that they came to Earth to save the Sixteen Realms. He told her that James was the Green Ninja. Then, he confessed all the terrible things he had done since he left Wu. He told her about his banishment and how he came back home, and he told her every detail of his horrible deeds. When he had finished, he held his head down and his eyes closed, his hands barely still clinging to hers.

After a moment of silence, Morro felt Zee's hands come away from his. He did not close his eyes. He knew she was about to leave, and he did not want to watch her leave. He waited to hear her stand up and leave him. He waited for rejection.

Instead he felt arms wrapping around him and pulling him into a tight hug. Morro opened his eyes and saw that Zee was hugging him. He hugged her back, speechless.

"Morro, you're so brave."

"No, I'm a coward who hurt others just to prove something."

"You're so brave to have come back and face it."

"I'm so sorry I didn't tell you sooner... I knew you would reject me."

"Oh, Morro..."

The couple held each other, Morro sobbing into Zee's shoulder.

"Shh, it's okay. I'm not going anywhere."

Morro calmed down and pulled away, looking into the beautiful eyes he loved so much.

"You're not going to leave me?"

"No, Morro. I promise. I love you."

"I love you too..."

She held him again, letting the pain flow out of him through his tears.

"Morro, how can I touch you now?"

"You can touch me when I focus on being solid, or when my emotions overpower the curse I'm under."

"Ah... which was it when we were on that hill on our first date?"

Morro actually let out a little laugh at that.

"Definitely the emotions... the only thing I was focused on was you."

"You're so sweet," blushed Zee, placing a gentle kiss onto Morro's forehead and wiping away his tears.

"You're so good... to still love me and want to be with me, knowing everything I've done..."

"Because I know you've changed. The person you are now is amazing. And he was always there, Morro. He was just waiting for you to find them. You finally found your true self. Your true, amazing, and... incredibly handsome self."

Morro blushed and stood up from the couch. He held out his hand and Zee took it, letting him help her up. She thought it was a cute gesture.

"So, yeah," said Morro, without the shame. "I guess, I'm a ghost... kinda."

"Yep, my boyfriend is a ghost."

"A cute ghost?"

"An adorable ghost."

"Good to see I'm not the only one who's dating an adorable person."

"Aww, you're a sweet ghost. A ghost that owes me a kiss..."

"Come get it, baby."

Zee did, indeed, get her kiss. Morro kissed her with love until she pulled away.

"Hey," said Zee. "You just called me 'baby.'"

Morro's face turned very red.

"I'm sorry..."

"Why?" laughed Zee.

"I don't know... wait, is that okay?"

"Of course, my love."

The couple giggled and hugged each other, letting their love for each other flow throughout them.

"Zee..."

"Yes?"

"I love you, so much."

"I love you too, Morro."

For the rest of the night, Morro and Zee watched movies and kissed and snuggled the night away until they fell asleep holding each other on the couch.


	5. V: The Complication

_**Any other authors out there like me and can never come up with a title for a chapter until you're done?**_

 _ **Anyway, this is a short chapter because I'm leaving for the Strength to Stand Conference in Tennessee in the morning. However... it is quite important. There is one line in this chapter that is essential for... the rest of the story! So I will boldface that line for y'all.**_

 _ **Enjoy this very important little bit of content! And review!**_

* * *

 **The Green Ninja's World**

 _Chapter V. The Complication._

* * *

It was midnight.

Four dark figures walked down County Road 24, looking for something. Someone. Someone who could ruin everything.

Their orders were clear, capture the source of the entity. However, they were to retreat at the first sign of the only one who could plunder from them the secrets of their dark queen.

"Wait," said one of them, holding up his hand. The rest stopped to look at him. They were beside the road, at a clearing where a house stood alone.

"This is it," the same one said.

"Are you sure, Scio?" asked another. "Doesn't seem to be much special about it."

"Her Dark Majesty told us not to be fooled by what we see," replied Scio. " **'For the rest of the Eight are hidden,'** she said, ' **within shadows known only by the Green Ninja himself.'** "

"What does that mean?"

"I'm not sure... but if our queen says it, we live by it."

"Indeed," said the other dark figure. "Let us search this place."

The four soldiers then fell into silence and approached the house, using their ally the shadows to remain hidden. They came up to a window and saw a ghost with long black hair and a girl on the couch asleep, holding each other.

"This is it, I told you," affirmed Scio. "That's Morro, Master of Wind. And that must be the girl our commander told us he had fallen in love with."

"We are to capture her?" asked the only soldier that had been speaking to Scio. "Morro will easily defeat us."

"There's always a way, Dubito."

"Wait - Scio! Look!"

"What is it - oh my..."

The soldiers beheld none other than Sensei Garmadon, peeking his head around the corner to check on the couple. He smiled at the sight of the two holding each other and retreated back into the darkness of the hallway.

"Is this Garmadon's house?" asked Scio.

"Does it matter?" asked another soldier.

"You're right; we must return at once to the Realm and speak to the queen. This changes things."

"But, Scio. The mission..." said Dubito.

"Queen Rikayla did not know of Garmadon's involvement with them. She would want us to return to bring this news to her. Besides, the commander says the Imperia are in the last stages of preparation and the queen's Hammer is being fetched from the secret place she left it. Others can handle the situation of the girl. But we have to go, now."

Scio pulled a fragment of a stone from his pocket and held it out. The Queen of Madness had given it to him so he could travel to Earth and back.

"Touch this, or me, all of you," commanded Scio.

When they had done this, they instantly teleported away from the house.

Only seconds later, a white truck pulled into the driveway and parked beside the house.

* * *

 _ **Reference:**_

 _ **Scio: "scio" is Latin for "I know."**_

 _ **Dubito: "dubito" is Latin for "I doubt."**_

* * *

 _ **If y'all are confused by Rikayla's ambiguous references, don't worry. Odds are, you haven't missed anything. Remember that Rikayla is way ahead of the game and knows a lot more than the ninja at this point. Everything will be explained soon, my friends.**_

 _ **Also, remember what Rikayla said earlier about how "the girl" cannot be in the presence of Morro and the Green Ninja at the same time? Yeah, just remember that...**_

 _ **Please review!**_

 _ **God bless y'all.**_


	6. VI: The Threat

**_Okay guys, everything in this WHOLE SERIES has been building up to this moment. I cannot tell y'all how excited I am to finally get to write this part of the story! This is where everything comes together, these next two - possibly three - chapters._**

 ** _Oh, and I forgot to reply to Zena's review last chapter so, reply to Zena's review: I'm glad you think it is cute._**

 ** _Get excited! Hope y'all enjoy!_**

* * *

 **The Green Ninja's World**

 _Chapter_ _VI. The Threat._

* * *

James walked onto the porch and up to the door. He fiddled with his keys until he found the right one. When he had the desired key, he unlocked the door.

Suddenly, the wind picked up and nearly knocked the Green Ninja off his feet. James looked at the cloudy night sky and saw that the clouds were contorting strangely.

"Dang... summer in Alabama," said James, walking in the house.

As he stepped across the threshold and into the house, he heard the wind outside howl and thunder roll. He became suspicious as the weather seemed to be suddenly getting rapidly worse. He was glad he had gotten Diana home safe before this storm popped up.

"Stupid summer storms. I wonder if Zee is still here," thought the Green Ninja out loud.

He walked into the living room, where Morro and Zee were sleeping on the couch.

"Aww, they're cute."

When James stepped fully into the room, the weather halted and was calm. In the same instant, Morro and Zee both jolted awake violently.

"Whoa... strange," remarked the Green Ninja.

"Oh, James. You're home," observed Morro, looking afraid. Zee also looked scared.

"Are you two okay? You look rattled."

"I had a dream..." said Zee, shaking.

"So did I. It was just starting when -"

"When she jolted you awake?"

"How did you know?" asked Morro, bewildered.

"I had the same dream."

"And you both woke up at the same time..." observed James. "Morro, maybe we should talk?"

"She knows, James. She knows everything."

"Yeah, Green Ninja," teased Zee.

"Very well then. I think something is happening. I think this is the type of 'elemental disturbance' we've been looking for."

"You mean, we're close to finding something?" asked Morro.

"Possibly... did you say 'she' woke you up?"

"Yeah," answered Zee.

"Who?" asked the Green Ninja, looking afraid.

"Rikayla," guessed Morro.

"Yeah..." confirmed Zee. "But why do I know that? Why did I recognize her in my dream? I shouldn't have - I've never seen her. Morro told me who she is but not what she looks like."

"You dreamed about Rikayla? Are you absolutely sure?" asked James.

Morro had never seen panic on James's face, but he thought he saw it now.

"Yes, absolutely."

"That's not good..."

"Why not?" asked Morro.

"You can only ever dream about the faces of oppositely affiliated Elemental forces in two cases. After the conflict is over, and if the force is targeting you..."

"What?!" exclaimed Morro.

"Why? What could she want with me?" asked Zee.

"I don't know, but I need you to stay calm. It is extremely difficult to invade one's dreams, but if you're stressed it gets easier. It takes too much energy to try it again tonight, so you need to get some sleep. Being tired all the time can also make it easier for her to get into your dreams. And Morro, you said you had the same dream, but that's not possible. She can't target both of you at once."

"Well, I watched Rikayla grab Zee and mutter something. Then she grabbed her by the shoulders and we woke up."

"I think your connection is stronger than you two realize. Morro must be very in love with you, to have watched your dream."

"Well that's great," said Zee, starting to become even more afraid. "But I want to know how to keep that witch out of my head."

"I think I can train Morro through meditation how to expel her from the dream, if you share the dream again."

"What if we don't?" asked Morro.

"You most probably will. I'm sure she didn't want you seeing it. She's very powerful - if there was a way to keep you from being connected to Zee's dreams, she would have done it to avoid potentially being kicked out."

"Then we have to start in the morning," said Morro.

"Agreed," responded Zee. "I'd like to stay here tonight, if that's okay with everyone. I'd just feel safer."

"No problem," said James. "Get some rest, I'll see you in the morning."

James left the room to go to bed and Zee started to cry.

"Oh Zee, baby please don't. It's okay."

Morro hugged his girlfriend and held her close to his chest.

"It's all over; I've got you."

"Morro, just seeing her face... that was the most terrified I've ever been. Being in her presence was like experiencing pure evil. I felt like I was in a dark place alone and it was just dark and I was so scared. I'm so scared, Morro."

"She can't get you, Zee. It's okay."

"I'm not scared for me, I'm worried about you... she's pure evil, she wants to make everything dark and turn everything to nothing and... you all have to fight her. When she touched me, it hurt so bad... if she can cause that kind of pain in a dream, I can't even imagine what she can do in real life..."

"Zee... listen. Yeah, she's powerful. Yes, we have to fight her. But you don't need to worry about us. Know why?"

"Why?"

"We're ninja."

"So?"

Morro leaned in and whispered, "You can't hurt what you can't catch."

Zee giggled and smiled.

"You okay?" her ghostly boyfriend asked.

"Yeah baby, I'm okay. Just still a little rattled."

"It's okay, I'm right here. Always."

* * *

"NOOO!"

The Queen of Darkness became hysterical upon being cast out of the girl's dream by the presence of the Green Ninja. She dropped to her knees and screamed at the sky. Commander Tenebris walked up to her, worried.

"Master? Are you alright?"

"No, Tenebris. Just as I feared, something interfered with our scouts. They did not capture the girl and the Green Ninja came into their presence. I had grown impatient and decided to torture her while I waited for the scouts to take her. I was about to torture that girl by making her look upon my face and feel the darkness strangling her until morning, but I was cast out."

"How, my queen?"

"The Green Ninja must have entered the room and Morro must have been there, for there was an elemental disturbance so great that I was cast out of the dream and she awoke. Tenebris, that girl has ruined us. All of them will ruin us. We must proceed to the next part of our plan to make ourselves invincible to him. We take one of his family. My vision says he can't fight us without his family."

"The last of the Imperia are preparing now. Shall I inform them of what they are preparing for?"

"No, dear Commander. I will tell them myself. When the scouts return, tell them their failure to capture the girl will not be held against them. I will debrief them later."

"Yes, Master Rikayla."


	7. VII: The New Mission

**_This story is ALMOST COMPLETE, Praise the Lord. I hope y'all are enjoying this story as much as I'm enjoying moving through it and getting closer to the (hopefully good) ending to all of it._**

 ** _Also, if these chapters are seeming to be shorter, it's not that I'm rushing anything or trying to squeeze things. I've had to split some stuff up to avoid REALLY long chapters, which make it more difficult to manage all the content. Shorter chapters help me keep all the information together and it helps y'all not have to read as much at a time!_**

 ** _Anyway, enjoy the new chapter._**

* * *

 **The Green Ninja's World**

 _Chapter VII. The New Mission._

* * *

All in the house slept peacefully, even Morro and Zee. They had moved to Morro's room, and both slept peacefully because they had each other for comfort through what could have otherwise been a long, sleepless night.

There was one, however, whose sleep was not full of peace, but of turbulence. The Green Ninja tossed in his bed as images of the Golden Weapons flashed before the eye of his sub-conscience and the voice of the Queen of Darkness filled his mind's ears. Fragments of her speech tortured his mind and he could find no escape. He listened to the enemy's words.

 _"He has found three of the Guardians..."_

 _"Now they have found one!"_

 _"...that girl must not be in the presence of both the Green Ninja and Morro at the same time..."_

 _"For on that very night... his next instructions for fighting us..."_

 _"Infinite power, guarded by the Eight... the Guardians..."_

 _"... an elemental disturbance so great..."_

Suddenly, the Green Ninja's dream transformed around him. Instead of torment, he experienced relief. He then heard another voice. Instead of pain and confusion, this voice brought knowledge. The voice revealed new instructions:

 _"To Earth have masters_ _come to stay_

 _And watch until the war's last day,_

 _For power to change all light's fate_

 _Doest lie within the Guardians, Eight._

 _In quaint Realm Earth do the Guardians hide_

 _In wait just past the Green Master's mind._

 _When the Guardians all are sought and found,_

 _The Weapons of Old will call and shout._

 _Find them all, the new Weapons and the old,_

 _That darkness be beaten, and what pass be as was told."_

The voice was quiet and there stood eight ninja.

 _"These are the Eight, Green Ninja. These are the Guardians of the Realms,"_ said the ethereal voice.

In the middle of the Eight were James and Lloyd. On the sides were Kai, Cole, Jay, and three other figures whose faces were distorted. The unknown individuals wore gray, purple, and white ninja uniforms. The gray and purple ninja looked to be female, judging by their shapes. Behind the group of eight warriors, an army appeared. Many familiar faces were in the army, including Zane, Morro, and Nya. There were also thousands of distorted figures in the army.

The face of the gray, female-looking ninja ceased to be distorted and was revealed to be the face of Zee.

"Zee is a Guardian?" called out the Green Ninja.

The voice of Rikayla called out, but this time the voice was distressed.

 _"All of them will ruin us..."_

James was awed, but also confused.

"Wait," he called. "Why isn't Zane one of the Eight? Shouldn't he be a Guardian?"

 _"The Elements have given their greatest keep to eight organic entities,"_ replied the voice.

"So because he's a robot? What about Nya and Morro?"

 _"Nya's heart belongs to machinery, not the Elements. And Morro has had his time. Now, you must find these Guardians and cure the Darkness that threatens the Realms."_

"There are still two left, and then all the Weapons."

 _"Go..."_

"What do I do?"

 _"Search and follow your loyalties, young warrior. In your heart lies the truth. Go, do this now."_

The Green Ninja snapped awake as the sun was beginning to rise, and he realized why they had not been finding the Weapons.

"We weren't ready... we were missing something."

* * *

"Mighty Imperia."

The adored Queen of the Realm of Madness addressed twelve dark soldiers who were larger, stronger, and who looked much more dangerous than her other soldiers.

"The time has come to assure our victory. I have given Commander Tenebris a map - you will follow him to the place I have marked for him. There, you will find many members of the Green Ninja's family. Wait out and stay hidden until morning, when they will all arrive for some gathering they are planning. Pick one, and take him or her. I don't care who it is; just take someone. And, Tenebris?"

"Yes, Master Rikayla?" responded the Commander of the Army of Eternal Darkness.

"Please, dear Tenebris, be cruel and malicious about it."

"It would be my genuine pleasure, my queen. But before I leave, I believe you will want this."

Tenebris made a motion with his hand and a large black box was carried in by four soldiers, one at each corner of the long box.

"Thank you, Commander."

Commander Tenebris bowed and led the Imperia out of the corridor and into the courtyard of Rikayla's castle. From there, they used the fragment of the crystal Scio used earlier and teleported out of the Realm of Madness.

* * *

 _ **Ooh, y'all... ooh I am fired up. As I am publishing this (January 21, 2019), I just got back from a Bible conference in Tennessee called "Strength to Stand" and ooh, y'all... I am feeling the Spirit at work y'all. Fellow believers, it's time to rejoice. Christians out there, I would like to announce this weekend at the conference, we welcomed HUNDREDS of new brothers and sisters in the Faith. HUNDREDS of people accepted Jesus and were saved this weekend. God is good and He still moves!**_

 _ **#stsmvmnt**_

 _ **I hope y'all are enjoying the story; not much left until it's done!**_

 _ **Please review!**_

 _ **God bless y'all.**_


	8. VIII: The Commission

**The Green Ninja's World**

 _Chapter_ _VIII. The Commission._

* * *

James woke the ninja and told them of his dream, electing to wait to disclose the part about Zee until he had finished explaining that they had to find the rest of the Guardians.

"So, we're here to find the Golden Weapons," said Kai, when the Green Ninja had finished talking. "But we can't do that without finding the other three 'Guardians' first?"

"Right," James affirmed.

"Great," huffed Cole. "How are we gonna find three people that happen to be Guardians in this huge Realm?"

"The dream said that I already know these people," said James. "The dream said to trust my heart and we would find them."

"But where do we even start?" asked Lloyd.

"How do we know?" asked Nya.

"I think when the dream told me, 'search **your** heart,' perhaps we all were meant to follow that."

"James," said Jay. "Do you know anyone who might be one? Somewhere to start?"

"We've already found one," the Green Ninja answered.

"Oh, well that was easy," said Jay.

"Who?" asked Morro. He was seated on the couch holding hands with Zee, who had spent the night and now sat beside her ghostly boyfriend.

"Ironic you should ask that, Morro," said James, smiling. "When I walked in the house and saw you and Zee, holding each other, something happened. Something woke up when I saw you two so truly in love after such a short time. In that moment, the love between you two was so strong and powerful that it allowed me to receive the ability to recognize the presence of Guardians when I went to sleep last night. And Zee... you're the first."

Zee was shocked, as was everyone else in the living room. The mouths of the ninja, Garmadon, Misako, and Zee, the newly announced Guardian were all agape and lacked the power to bring forth words. Finally Zee found the strength to speak.

"What?" was all she could muster.

"You're a Guardian, Zee. It's my job to train you as a ninja and teach you to master your element."

"A ninja?! Wow..."

"What color?" asked Jay.

"She will be the gray ninja," answered James.

"And what is her element?" asked Morro, feeling he already knew the answer.

"Wind, of course," James answered with a wide smile. "I was actually hoping you would be willing to help me teach her everything."

"It would be my pleasure," responded Morro, sincerely. He squeezed Zee's hand to let her know he was there to support her, and she squeezed back in appreciation.

"Great," said James. "Now, Zee?"

"Yes?"

"If you are going to do this, and you're going to become a Guardian, you have to accept our commission. The other Guardians, including Lloyd and myself, also have to do this. We'll do it in a group. Y'all stand in a circle and hold hands, I will as well."

They did as they were instructed.

"Follow me in swearing to the three conditions of the Guardians. If you accept a condition, respond with 'we the Masters do swear.' If you do not accept a condition, break away from the circle; for only true Guardians will be able to force Rikayla's darkness to flee."

"Got it," the rest said simultaneously.

 _ **A/N: Conditions of the commission will be in italics, group text in bold.**_

 _"Masters, do you swear to serve the Lord through serving His Creation?"_

 **"We the Masters do swear."**

"I the Green Ninja do swear as well. _Masters, do you swear to protect the Realms with all your might from the forces of darkness and evils unknown?"_

 **"We the Masters do swear."**

"I the Green Ninja do swear as well. _Masters, do you swear to remain sexually pure until the war is past?"_

 **"We the Masters do swear."**

"I the Green Ninja do swear as well. Now repeat after me. _The Guardians do swear to this commission."_

 **"The Guardians do swear to this commission."**

 _"The Realms now have received their Guardians."_

 **"The Realms now have received their Guardians."**

 _"Of elements Wind, Earth, Fire, and Lightning."_

 **"Of elements Wind, Earth, Fire, and Lightning."**

 _"The Realms now have received the two joint Guardians of wisdom and power._

 **"The Realms now have received the two joint Guardians of wisdom and power."**

 _"It is done."_

 **"It is done."**

 _ **A/N: Back to normal text.**_

The ninja broke the circle.

"Now what?" asked Zee.

"Well," said James. "This morning we are all going to my little brother's birthday breakfast thing at my grandmother's house."

"All?" asked Cole.

"Yes, I feel that we should explain the Guardians thing to my family. They know about you ninja and about Morro being a 'ghost,' but they need to know this too."

"And they know me 'cause we've been friends forever," added Zee.

"Right, so we need to start getting ready."

The ninja, Garmadon, Misako, and James's parents and little brother all went down the driveway to James's grandmother's house. When the whole family had arrived, the party moved to the more spacious basement and celebrated James's little brother obtaining ten years of age.

Suddenly, a clatter was heard upstairs.

"Search the house; find them!", Commander Tenebris ordered as he and the Imperia forced the front door open.

"Remember, we only need one and it doesn't matter who."

"They're here..." said James in a hushed voice.

"James," said Morro. "And the rest of you. You all have to hide. They're going to hurt these people if they realize we're here. I can take them out and they can't even touch me."

"You're right, they can't see us or these folks will be in more danger," the Green Ninja agreed. "But Lloyd can help you. His light can blind and probably kill Rikayla's soldiers; they're just manifest darkness."

"Right," said Lloyd.

"The rest of the ninja, and Garmadon and Misako, in this closet."

The group minus Morro and Lloyd hid in a closet and got the door closed just as Tenebris started walking down the steps. Morro and Lloyd were hidden, but ready to attack.

"I found them, down here."

Tenebris reached the bottom of the steps and walked around, getting close and eying James's family members. He stepped away from them. The Imperia were making their way behind Tenebris in case the family tried to escape.

"What a beautiful family. Smart too, I bet. I bet you all know who we are. Whom we serve."

"We've never seen anything like you," bit a relative.

"Well, surely you know whom we seek. Where are the Guardians?"

The family was confused, as the ninja had not yet gotten a chance to explain the situation.

"He hasn't told you, has he? The truth... my queen has sent me to take one of you so that we will defeat the one who wears green."

"Never!" shouted another relative. "None of us will go with you."

"I'll persuade you," said Tenebris with murder in his cold, dark eyes.

"Not on my watch," said the voice of Morro.

Tenebris was knocked off his feet by a gust of wind. He stood up and saw Morro, no longer hiding.

"Attack the cursed one!"

Three Imperia attacked Morro, who struggled to fight them. He was surprised by their strength.

"You, come here," growled Tenebris, grabbing the relative that had shouted at him.

"Lloyd!" shouted Morro. "He's got Aunt Lynn!"

The room filled with golden light and the four Imperia that had formed a perimeter around their commander were knocked to the floor. Lloyd fought Tenebris while the remaining two Imperia who were not fighting Morro kept the family in one place by blocking any escape.

"You... you are... a Guardian," gasped Tenebris, showing slight fear.

"Yeah, I'm a Guardian," replied Lloyd. "And my job is to protect these people from you and your thugs."

"Very well then. Imperia! We're done."

He made sure all the Imperia were touching him, including the four knocked out on the floor, and he used the fractured crystal to teleport back to the Realm of Madness.

"What was that all about?!" a relative asked.

The ninja emerged from their hiding closet and James answered, "Those are Rikayla's soldiers. She is the Queen of Darkness. She's self-proclaimed but the Realm of Madness and her army practically worship her every word... It appears she is at work in this Realm. Those are who we are at war with. They mean to plunge everything that exists into darkness. And we have to find all of the Guardians and the Golden Weapons to keep that from happening."

"Is that why Zee is here?" asked James's grandmother.

"Yes, she is a Guardian. Zee, Cole, Kai, Jay, Lloyd, and myself; and there are two more we have to find. We are the Guardians."

 _The Guardians must be prepared for the road that lies ahead, for finding the rest of the Eight and the Weapons after that will prove to be a true test for the heroes. But they will endure, for they must, for all light's sake. The Guardians must and will endure, for it is the very purpose for which they have come to the Green Ninja's World._

* * *

 _ **Okay, that's the end of story three of the series! Now that we've reached the end of another story, my updated plans are as follows. This is the plan for the rest of the series.**_

 _ **Reformation.**_

 _ **Revelation.**_

 _ **The Green Ninja's World.**_

 _ **The Guardians Part One: The Eight.**_

 _ **The Guardians Part Two: The Weapons.**_

 _ **The Guardians Part Three: [spoiler].**_

 _ **Finale: The Fate of Creation.**_

 _ **And, announcement! I have named the series (drumroll please...)... the "War for Creation Chronicles."**_

 _ **I hope that y'all are enjoying this series and don't worry, it shouldn't be very long before I start the next part. Probably not right away! But not a long time because honestly I'm excited about where this is all going (I mean, I know where it's all going but I'm excited for y'all to finally get to the end and see for yourselves!).**_

 _ **Y'all would be doing me a HUGE favor by reviewing when you read. Let me know what you think! Your opinions help shape my writing, and I want to know how y'all are liking all this. So please, review!**_

 _ **I love you all and I so greatly appreciate you if you are reading this and sticking with me through this series. God bless you all!**_

 _ **\- King.**_


End file.
